Improvement in bed-bottoms



L. THOMASA a man A. KURTZ'. 4

Improvement in Bed Bottoms.

No. 123,062. 29X Patemed1an.2a,1872.

L Q/Z i i I I i i g` f l Y i e l l l g i l l i l l l l |l f l I i L VQ l o cl og l 09 j Q lo 0i i I NITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

`LEOPOLD THOMAS AND JOHN A. KURTZ, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BED-BOTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 123,06, dated J annary 23, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEOPOLD THOMAS and JOHN A. KURTZ, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Bed Bottom;

.and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top View of the bed bottom. Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4 is a section taken longitudinally through the center of the bed-bottom.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention relates to portable bed-bottoms, and is designed to furnish a light and cheap article which will afford considerable elasticity. Our object is to employ, in combination with a rectangular' frame or stretcher and wood, metal, or other suitable springs, a longitudinal sheet of strong paper or leather, in the manner hereinafter explained.

The following description of my invention will enable others skilled in the art to understand it.

In the accompanying drawing, A A represent two longitudinal rails or bars, and a c two cross-bars, which are all formed together in a rigid manner so as to form a stretcher or frame for receiving the iiexible material B constituting the bed-bottom proper. One of the crossbars c is mortised into the rails A A so as to leave portions of the latter extending beyond it, which portions are slotted horizontally, as shown in Fig. 3. A cross-bar, b, has its reduced ends fitted loosely into said slots so that this bar will move longitudinally with respect to the length of the rails A A, and between this movable bar b and the fixed bar a springs C are interposed, the reduced ends of which are received into the slots in the rails A, which keep these springs in their places. The springs may consist of thin strips ot' wood or metal with spacing pieces applied between them at their ends and also at the middle of their length alternately or, these springs may be of the helical kind, or, finally, they may be of India rubber.

Having thus constructed the foundation of our bed-bottom, we take a sheet of strong paper or leather and fasten one of its narrowest ends to the cross-bar a furthest from the springs O. The opposite ends of this sheet is then secured to the movable bar b with the springs under tension. When the bar b is released the springs recoil and draw the sheet B tightlyin a longitudinal direction. The sheet will in this way be kept under constant tension, and the springs will yield when a weight is upon the sheet B, and thus afford great elasticity thereto.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The new article of manufacture, herein described, consisting of the frame A a, the iiexible sheet'B, the movable barb, and the springs C, as herein described.

LEOPOLD THOMAS. JOHN A. KURTZ. Witnesses:

En. M. JOHNSTON, WILL. B. MCGARTHY. 

